With the Bahrain GP just days away, there is anticipation to see the initial pecking order in 2024. Pre-season testing provided both important indications and question marks. A crucial takeaway concerns the Ferrari SF-24 and the progress made over winter.
The 676 project was born with the aim of abolishing the limits and weaknesses of the SF-23.
Moreover, the current SF-24 is only a “version 1.0”. In short, it will serve as a baseline for further development and progression.
Ferrari pursued a “low profile” over winter, as wanted by Vasseur. In Bahrain testing, there were promising results in terms of reliability and good design.
The drivers like the car, Leclerc especially:
“The car seems to react as we want. But it is difficult to judge our level of competitiveness at the moment. The sensations are certainly better than a year ago.”
Better on Sunday than on Saturday: The Ferrari SF-24 was created to optimise race performance
Last year’s SF-24 was often unpredictable and very harsh on its tyres. Frederic Vasseur had discussed the importance of tackling this issue:
“Our first aim was to have a predictable SF-24 in its behaviour, not very sensitive to changes in external conditions and which was easy to drive.”
However, the old car from Maranello always performed well on the flying lap. The seven pole positions of 2023 prove the SF-23 was fast in qualifying.
During 2023, with the appropriate corrective measures, the Maranello technicians worked to counterbalance and have a more balanced car.
This year’s car was created with the aim of being more solid, especially in racing conditions.
Achieving this was possible thanks to the increased aerodynamic load unlocked with the new floor design.
The long runs we saw in Bahrain showed that SF-24 is kind to its tyres. It does not experience the same inconsistencies as its predecessor.
Moreover, the Sakhir track is a good test for the degradation and overheating at the rear. This is especially true during daylight hours when the asphalt exceeds 30 degrees.
Based on what they learned in Maranello, they expect to be “closer” to Red Bull in the race than in qualifying.
Even at Haas, the new philosophy is expected to produce better results in race trim. This would be a significant change for both Ferrari-powered teams.
Leclerc’s skills on the flying lap should not be underestimated. He is often capable of outperforming the real potential of the car in qualifying.
Ferrari has tried to maintain their performance on low fuel amidst their search for a better race pace. Still, a gap remains relative to Red Bull in both qualifying and the race.
This weekend should provide the first indications of the deficit.
Ferrari expects to be second-fastest in Bahrain, but there is caution
Ferrari finished P3 in the standings last year, narrowly missing out on second.
The old SF-23 proved itself to be consistently the best car (behind Max Verstappen) in the second half of the year.
For 2024, Vasseur wants to be ambitious without losing sight of the team’s foundation.
Overtaking Red Bull will be extremely difficult, but minimising the gap is certainly possible. Still, with the RB20, Milton Keynes has raised the bar once more.
After the tests, there seems to be no doubt that, at least for now, there is still a technical gap.
Looking at the mood in Maranello, finishing second is seen as the bare minimum. Moreover, the expectation is to increase the pressure on Verstappen and fight for wins.
It is unclear how much time Max Verstappen and Red Bull kept in their pockets during testing. There is quite a bit of uncertainty about how much the gap will be at the start of this championship.
Estimates from Maranello on race pace and track evolution say that the RB20 has over 5-tenths of more pace with Verstappen. Furthermore, there is a certain “caution” in judging the real potential of the Mercedes W15.
“I expect that the various top teams will be very close to each other,” confirmed Frederic Vasseur.
Bahrain is, however, a fairly specific track, and the tests are less indicative than what could be appreciated when the sessions were carried out in Barcelona.
Therefore, performing well in Bahrain will not be enough. Evaluating the SF-24 in the first few rounds, especially Suzuka will be crucial.
Author: Rosario Giuliana
Translation: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
